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Chefs Gallery | Bankstown

Chefs Gallery has been on our radar for quite some time, but whenever we decide to go it's either too far away or busting out the doors with people. We really don't have an excuse anymore as we are so close to their Bankstown restaurant at Little Saigon Plaza. Contrary to the CBD restaurants which can be quite crowded and small, we were pleasantly surprised to so see how spacious the Bankstown store was.

We were invited to dine at any of the Chef's Gallery stores and sample "the art of Chinese cuisine". In anticipation, we were overly excited and had come prepared with all our choices ready to order, taken from either the popular items as well as recommendations from friends. The list literally contained 10 items, but our stomach's would probably start to fail on us if we even thought about ordering that much, so we forced ourselves to limit the meal to a few items, noting that if it exceeded our expectations we would definitely be back for a date night!

Slow Cooked Beef Brisket and Minced Beef Handmade Noodles

Chef's Gallery are known for their handmade noodles, so there was no way that we were leaving the restaurant without trying at least one noodle dish. There were so many options, but the one we both agreed to settle on was the braised beef noodles "served dry". The noodles are categorised as "served dry" which made us worry at first that noodles would be bland. Surprisingly (or not) it was far from bland. The flavour of the minced beef sauce were evenly distributed throughout the noodles and it really stood out in this dish. While the braised beef is the headliner of this show, the back up support from the minced beef got the encore. The noodles had great texture and didn't leave you feeling bloated afterwards. The beef brisket however was a bit of a let down for us. The dish could have been served without the brisket and we would have enjoyed it just as much.!

It is also worth noting that all noodles are hand made at Chefs gallery. If you are lucky, you can watch them making the noodles from scratch. It's unbelievable to witness the effort required to make the above dish. Whilst it's not uncommon for have handmade noodles in some countries, it's definitely an entertaining factor.

Tom Yum Fried Rice with Diced Chicken
Part of the signature dish range, the Tom Yum flavoured fried race was interesting so say the least. The strong, bold flavour of Tom Yum and lemon grass dominate the taste of the dish, as you would expect. This is perfect for those who love Tom Yum and want a break from the standard noodles. Just be mindful that it lacked the "wok hei" taste you typically find with traditional Chinese fried rice. Essentially the flavours brought out through frying the fried rice in a wok, on a large open flame with loads of oil. Next time we might try the salted duck egg fried rice and being un-flavoured, we would expect to notice the wok hei more.

Shredded Peking Duck Roti with Cucumber and Hoisin Sauce
Another item from the signature range, the duck roti was our favourite dish of the evening. We initially were struggling with ordering the roti or the macanese style mini burgers, but we were so happy with our decision. The serving size was generous and the roti itself was perfect to a tee. It was golden, flaky and filled with beautifully cooked duck. Honestly speaking, we had no idea what to expect from this dish, but glad we took the leap. To put this into perspective, the flavour is similar to what you would expect from your typical Peking duck wraps, however the texture of the powdery wraps is instead replaced with light, flaky roti. This is such an incredible dish, we have to insist you try it when you visit!

Lychee and Mango Juice & Lychee and Mint Juice

Either a sweet drink, or a nice herbal tea is required when eating Chinese food. Generally to help with the oil, but at Chef's Gallery it is really a nice way to cleanse your palette from the strong flavours throughout the food. These drinks are signature to Chef's Gallery and were really quite refreshing. If it's a hot day and you're looking for something to cool you down, we definitely recommend the lychee and mint (mmm... reminds us of a mojito!). We loved dining at Chef's Gallery, so much so that we will be planning a revisit for the remaining items on our list. It might be wise to plan ahead and book a table as the restaurant filled up quite quickly!

Snapshots of Food dined as guests of Chef's Gallery and Cardinal Spin.